If you’re an entrepreneur just starting out, you’re sure to make mistakes and that’s normal. But, you don’t always have to learn the hard way. Let the experience of others guide you.
Connecting with people in the business has never been easier. You can find a lot of budding startups on Instagram learning on the job just like you. As you sift through their content, you’ll see the strategies and tactics they use in action. However, navigating through the social media platform can get confusing. If you’re wondering who you should follow and which accounts are worth following, worry no more! We’ve curated a list of accounts of successful startups on Instagram to help you out.
FabFitFun, Inc.
FabFitFun is a lifestyle brand that offers quarterly mystery boxes to its subscribers. Costing $49.99 a month, the box has 8-10 full-sized, premium products related to beauty, skincare and lifestyle that would cost around $200 separately.
Their Instagram is littered with tasteful pictures on lifestyle tips and tricks, beauty, food and cocktail and of course teasers on what the boxes may contain. It offers a peek into how lifestyle brands brand their products.
Food Stories
Speaking of lifestyle brands, Food Stories promotes food recipes as well as tips and tricks on its Instagram page. They are known for taking great pictures from a bird’s eye view and this has set them apart from their competition. If you’re wondering how to make your content stand out, this could give you perspective, literally. Try different angles, zoom in, and play with focus options. You don’t have to take a typical picture, be creative.
MeUndies
This clothing startup, based in Los Angeles, aims to provide comfortable and sustainable undergarments through their website. Their brand, known for being fun and casual, changed the way underwear was being sold.
They invested in a smart subscription system through which customers could purchase their products and this feature is their unique selling point. Their transparency and indulgence in fun messages with their clientele has helped them form strong relationship with people.
From a startup perspective, as you browse their page keep an eye out for the clear message of fun, casual and comfort that they use to market their products, as well as how they engage with customers. And while they do all this, they do it responsibly by being inclusive and promoting messages of body positivity.
Four Barrel
This coffee shop based in San Francisco uses Instagram to tell a captivating story about their product. By sharing images on how the coffee is grown to the final product served in their chop, they reel in customers.
They play on what their customers want and by sharing their story they form a relationship with them. This kind of content also speaks a lot about the philosophy of your brand and people want to know about that. If your message resonates with them they are likely to buy from you.
Lumi
Lumi helps e-commerce companies with branding and packaging and they use Instagram to showcase their work. What’s great about this startup is how it leverages the reputation of other companies to boost its own. Getting social on Instagram and in with the popular crowd is what it’s all about.
One
For all the social entrepreneurs out there, there is much to gain from Instagram and One shows that. This international advocacy and campaigning organization raises awareness and promotes action against extreme poverty. How? By showing events and volunteers to advertise their cause. People love to be involved and they use this to promote their cause. When you work with people who are volunteering their time, you need to update them on the progress you’re making. It keeps the morale up.
RingCentral
It’s not just lifestyle and social startups that are making it big on Instagram, tech firms are in on the action too. RingCentral created a cloud-based global system for communication and by posting images of their employees working hard while happy and laughing they tell you about the origins of their product, the people behind it.
By giving it a cloud-based tech product a human face they create appeal for their product. What’s more, people are more trusting of the brand. Considering the blow up with Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, nobody wants to share data with people they don’t know.
theSkimm
The media startup shares through its posts what it is like to work for their company. The insight it offers is something you might be able to relate to specially if you’re in a similar field or if your company works with such startups. You can also learn from their journey, so click follow today.
Join the community
Instagram is a great platform for startups. The best part about it is that the smaller you are, the better you can market yourself with your personal touch. Don’t get intimidated by the pretty pictures and videos, launching your brand on the platform is not that difficult.
Just grab a camera and connect to a high speed internet (if you are not then click here) and you’re off. Even if you do not plan to join the platform, there is much to learn from the journey of others. There are many startups out there doing great work, just don’t let it overwhelm you. Take it as a challenge and work hard!
Kim Marks 
Nicola Holder